Hatch plug



V. E. WEST April 2z, 1941.

HATCH PLUG Filed Feb. 2, l1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l .arl

April 22, 1941. v E, WEST 2,239,512

HATCH PLUG Filed Feb. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 4 .z la i 4 i i? /A//fA/roa:

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Patented pr. 22, 1941 y UNITED 1 STATES I PATENT OFFICE HATCH PLUGV Victor E. West, Chicago,l1l., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Y n Y Application February 2, 1940, Serial No. 316,910

` 15 claims. (el. 10s- 377) A This invention relates to hatch plugs, `particularly insulated hatch plugs for the hatchways of railway car roofs. It has for its principal objects to devise a strong and durable plug that will be light, Vinexpensive and easy to maintain in working order, that will have its insulating material adequately protected against moisture, dirt and other Iforeign matter and which will be free from warping or shrinking out of shape. The invention consists in the hatch plug and in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,` which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hatch plug embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is `a vertical section on the line 2--2 in Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged vertical fragmentary sections on the lines `33 and 4-4, respectively, in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section through the compressible sealing pad for said plug,

Fig. 6 is afragmentary Ainner face view of the side frame of the plug, showing the margins of the sealing pad bent over the edges of said frame and secured inside thereof by lacing; and

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary sections, similar to Fig. 4, showing three modifications of the invention.

The plug illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, in the accompanying drawings, comprises an inverted pyramidal metal side frame` A, metal closure plates B and C for the upper andlower ends, respectively, of said frame, suitable heat insulating material D in said frame between said closure plates, a compressible sealing pad E surrounding said frame with its longitudinal portions clampedbetween said closure plates and said frame and secured inside of the latter, and vertical through bolts F for securing said closure plates. As shown in the drawings the side frame A has rounded upper and lower edges I and 2, respectively, around which ythe longitudinal margins of the pad E are bent; and the top and bottom closure plates B and C have rounded marginal portions 3 and 4, respectively, simllarfto the rounded edges of said frame.

y The sealing pad preferably comprises a tubular container made up of inner andouter strips 5 and 6. of textile fabric or other suitable material and a filling I of loose insulating material- The securing means for the corresponding marginal edges of the strips 5 and 6 preferably com- GlA prise hollow rivets or eyelets 8. The padding has a relatively thick middle portion and thinner portions between said middle portion and the margins of the fabric container. These thinner "i portions of the pad are compressed between and conform to the rounded cooperating edges of the metal side frame and closure plates; the margins of said container are secured together by laces 9 that pass through the eyelets 8 in said margins and thus serve to hold the padding in place on the edge frame.

The heads I0 of the through bolts F are welded or otherwise non-rotatably secured, as at I I, to the bottom closure plate C and have nuts I2 on their upper ends that bear against the top closure plate B. The top closure plate B has panels I3 pressed therein that extend from one side'of said plate to the opposite side thereof and the nuts I2 of the bolts F are located in these panels. The bottom closure plate C is likewise paneled, as at I4, from one side of the plate to the opposite side thereof and the heads I0 of said bolts are located in these panels.

The hereinbefore describedv plug has several important advantages. It is light and relatively inexpensive, it hasvits insulating material protected against moisture and dirt `and other foreign matter, it is strong and rigid and will not' warp or shrink and lose its original shape, and the padding may be replaced when worn or damaged without replacing' the other more permanent parts of the plug,

v In the modied construction shown in Fig. 7, the metal side or edge frame A of the plug is 1 provided substantially midway of its top and bottom edges with .an inwardly extending stiiening and strengthening flange I5 whose inner marginal portion is slit and bent to provide upstanding Vtabs I6 and depending tabs I1 alone.r the inner edge of said flange. Upper and lower wooden nailing strips I8 and I9 are disposed above. and below the vstiiiening ilange I5 between the inner edge tabs thereof and the side frame and are held in place `by nails 20 that pass through said tabs and are driven into said filler Wooden nailing strip 22 is securedflatwise to the inner. face ofthe edge frame A.by means of horizontal bolts 23 having flat heads counter sunk in horizontal openings provided therefor in said frame and having their inner end portions threaded to receive nuts 24 that bear against the inner faces of said nailing strip.

rIhe modification illustrated in Fig. 9 is similar to that shown in Fig. 7, except that a separate series of securing bolts F is provided for each closure plate. In this construction, all of the bzolts extend through the upper and lower nailing strips I8 and I9 and through the metal stiffening and strengthening flange l interposed therebetween. The bolts of one series are arranged with their heads Illu up and seated in countersinks provided therefor in the top oi the upper nailing strip I8, while the lower ends of these bolts extend through the bottom closure plate C and have nuts I2a threaded thereon that bear against the underside of said plate. The bolts of the other series are arranged with their heads down and seated in countersinks provided therefor in the bottom of the lower filler strip |19, while their opposite ends extend through the :top closure plate B and have nuts threaded thereon that bear against the upper face of said plate. By this arrangement, each closure plate is secured by bolts than; are independent of the securing bolts tor the other closure platte; and an insulating space is provided between the securing bolts for one closure plate and the other closure plate, thereby preventing the transfer of heat by conduction through said bolts.

What I claim is:

1. A hatch plug comprising a frame and padding around the sides thereof, the upper and lower portions of said padding being bent around the top and bottom margins of said frame into the interior thereof, top and bottom covers for said frame, means for removably securing said covers in place, and means inside of said frame for holding said portions of said padding on said frame, said holding means being entirely independent of said covers and said cover-securing means.

2. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal frame with curled top and bottom margins and compressible padding around the sides thereof, the upper and lower portions of said padding being bent around the curled top and bottom margins of the frame and provided with eyelets, and laces cooperating with said eyelets to hold said padding in place.

3. A hatch plug comprising a hollow metal frame with rounded rtop and bottom margins and paddling around the sides thereof, said padding comprising -a tubular `container and a iilling of insulating material in said container, the upper and lower portions of said contain-er being bent around the rounded top and bottom margins of said frame and provided with eyelets, and laces cooperating with said eyelets to hold said padding in place.

4. A hatch plug comprising an inverted pyramidal hollow metal frame with rounded top and bottom margins and compressible padding around the sides thereof, said padding comprising a tubular container inadeoi" textile fabric and a illing of loose insulating material in said container, the upper and lower portions of said container being bent around the rounded top and bottom margins of said frame. and provided with eyelets, and laces cooperating with said eyelets to hold said padding in place.

5. A hatch plug comprising an inverted pyramidal hollow metal frame with rounded top and bottom margins and compressible padding around the si'des thereof, said padding comprising a tubular container made of textile fabric and a filling of loose insulating material in said container, the upper and lower portions of said container being bent around the rounded top and bottom margins of said frame and provided with eyelets, laces cooperating with said eyelets to hold said padding in place, metal top and bottom closure plates for said frame having curved margins, and means for securing said plates to said frame with their curved margins bearing against said bent upper and lower portions of said container opposite the rounded top and bottom edges respectively of said frame,

6. A hatch plug comprising a metal side frame, a nailing strip iixedly mounted inside of said side frame, and a padding lcovering the outer face :of said frame with its upper and lower margins bent inwardly around the top and bottom edges of said frame and secured to said nailing strip.

7. A .hatch plug comprising a metal side frame, nailing strips iixedly mounted inside of said side frame, a` padding covering the outer face of said frame with its upper and lower margins bent inwardly around the top and bottom edges of said frame and secured to said nailing strips, insulating material in said frame, metal top and bottom closure plates for said frame, and means for securing said closure plates.

8. A hatch plug comprising a metal side frame, nailing strips xedly mounted inside of said frame, a padding covering the outer face of said frame with its upper and lower margins bent inwardly around the top and bottom edges of said frame and secured to said nailing strips, insulating material in said frame, metal top and bottom closure plates fzor said frame, and means for securing said closure plates to said frame with their margins bearing against said inwardly bent margins of said padding opposite the top and bottom edges respectively of said frame.

9. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with an inwardly extending flange intermediate between the top and bottom of said frame, nailing strips located above :and below said iiange and sustained thereby, and a padding covering the outer f-ace of said frame with its upper and lower margins turned inwardly over the top and bottom edges thereof and secured to the respective upper and lower nailing strips.

l0. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with an inwardly extending iiange intermediate between the top and bottom lof said frame, nailing strips locatedl above and below said iange and sustained thereby, and a padding covering the outer face of said frame Wirth its upper and lower margins turned'inwardly over the top and bottom edges thereof and secured tothe respective upper and lower nailing strips, said inwardly extending flange of said frame having portions bent upwandly alongside of the inner margin of the upper nailing strip and secured thereto and portions bent downwardly alongside of the inner margin of the lower nailing strip and secured thereto.

ll. A hatch plug comprising a. metal edgeframe with an inwardly extending flange intermediate between the top and bottom of said frame, nailing strips located above and below said iiangeand sustained thereby, a padding covering the outer face of said frame with its upper and lower margins turned inwardly over the top and bottom edges thereof Aand secured to the respective upper Iand lower nailing strips, said inwardly extending flange of vsaid frame having portions bent up wardly alongside of the inner margin of the upper nailing strip and secured there-to and portions bent downwardly alongside of the inner margin of the lower nailing strip and secured thereto, insulating material in said frame, metal top and bottom closure plates for said frame, and means for securing said cover plates.

12. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with an inwardly extending flange intermediate between the: top and bottom bf said frame, nailing strips located above `and below said flange and sustained thereby, a padding covering the outer face of said frame with its upper and lower margins turned inwardly over the top and bottorn edges thereof and secured to the respective upper and lower nailing strips, said inwardly extending flange of said frame having portions bent upwardly alongside o-f fthe inner margin of the upper nailing strip and secured thereto and portions bent downwardly alongside of the inner margin of the lower nailing strip and secured thereto, insulating material in said frame,.metal top and bottom closure plates for said frame, and means for securing said cover plates Ato said frame with their margins bearing against said inwardly bent margins of said padding opposite the top and bottom edges respectively of said frame.

13. A hatch plug comprising a metal edge frame with an inwardly extending flange intermediate between the top and bottom of said frame, nailing strips located above and below said flange and sustained thereby, and a padding covering the outer face of said frame with its upper and lower margins turned inwardly over the top and bottom edges thereof and secured to the respective upper and lower nailing strips, said inwardly extending ange of said frame having portions bent upwardly alongside of the inner margin of the upper nailing strip and secured thereto and portions bent downwardly alongside of the inner f margin of the lower nailing strip and secured thereto, insulating material in said frame, metal top and bottom closure plates for said frame, and means for securing said cover plates to said frame with their margins bearing against said inwardly bent margins of said padding opposite the top and bottom edges respectively of said frame, said securing means comprising bolts extending lthrough said closure plates, said nailing strips and said flange of said frame.

14, A hatch plug comprising a metal frame, padding fastened to and extending around the outer sides of said frame with its longitudinal margins bent aroundthe top and bottom edges thereof, fastening means inside of said frame and in operative relation to the longitudinal margins of said padding for keeping said padding around the sides of said frame, metal top and bottom closures for said frame, and means for detachably securing said closures to said frame, said padding fastening `means being entirely independent of said closures and the closure securing means, whereby the closures may be removed without loosening the padding.

15. A hatch plug comprising a metal frame open at itsy top and bottom, padding extending around the outer sides of said frame with its longitudinal margins bent around the top Vand bottom edges thereof and terminating inside thereof, detachable top andbottom -closure plates for said frame, means for fastening said'plates to said frame with their margins bearing against said margins of said padding adjacent to the top land bottom edges, respectively, of said frame, and means located entirely inside of said frame between anld independent of said cover plates for fastening said padding to said frame, whereby said padding remains .attached .to said frame with its longitudinal margins positively retained `around the top and bottom edges, respectively,

of said frame and inside thereof when said ltop and bottom cover plates are detached therefrom.

VICTOR E. WEST. 

